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5 useful Tips to save on your electrical at home and the office this Holiday Season.

Use LED holiday lights: Light emitting diodes, or LEDs, are at least 75% more efficient and last up to 25 times longer than traditional incandescent lights. By using LED holiday lights, you can be at ease knowing that you won’t be spending a bundle to keep those lights on. Check out Electrician in Stafford, TX Electrician In Missouri City, TX electrician Experts in Houston for more information on getting free quotes.

Turn off the lights: If you’re out on vacation this winter, you can save energy by making sure the lights are turned off. Find out more on when to turn off the lights.

Use a power strip: if the idea of running around the home to unplug everything is a bit too much, use power strips to plug in multiple appliances, and then turn it all off with the flip of the power strip switch. For more information on how to install a power strip check out electrician Richmond, TX Electrician in Sugar Land, TX electrician Pearland, TX.

Install a Smart Thermostats which are installed for one purpose, and one purpose only- to keep your rooms and home at a comfortable temperature. In fact, there are a variety of thermostats out there to choose from. With smart thermostats, you can adjust the temperature in your home via your mobile device. For more advice on how to install a smart thermostat look for electrician Pearland, TX Electrician In Katy TX commercial electrical contractors electrician Houston.

Do a quick home inspection/audit of all electrical devices and set a timer on when to turn off appliances that are not in use. This can be a very simple routine. DO a walk through and Unplug little appliances that are not in use or are used only occasionally. Remember to call your local small business electrician Allsource Electrical Technologies, LLC for most current information on how to save money, and energy as well if any electrical problems arise. You can contact us by searching electricians near me, electrician Sugar Land TX commercial electrical services Houston and call for your free quote at 281-451-4245.

Electrical Panel Safety Tips

How to maintenance Electrical panel before calling your local electrician

*Before working with wires or electrical connections, check them with a voltage tester to be sure they are dead.

*Breaker panels are always labeled according to specific circuits that they are servicing or areas of the house they power, so when you’re checking the kitchen for instance, unplug the refrigerator, microwave and other appliances before you get started. This will help to prevent any damage that may be caused by short-circuits.

*Switch the breaker on and off several times. Turn on the appliances on. Any indication of dimming lights, flickering lights, a sizzling sound, or a burning odor mandate a prompt professional electrician, an expert electrician.

*Do a quick home inspection/audit of all electrical devices and set a timer on when to turn off appliances that are not in use. This can be a very simple routine. DO a walk through and Unplug little appliances that are not in use or are used only occasionally. Remember to call your local small business electrician Allsource Electrical Technologies, LLC for most current information on how to save money, and energy as well if any electrical problems arise. You can contact us by searching electricians near me, electrician Sugar Land TX commercial electrical services Houston and call for your free quote at 281-451-4245.

For more information and consultation call; Allsource Electrical Technologies, LLC at 281-451-4245

*Get a written estimate. Compare electrical services and prices before making a final decision. Also, read the fine print. Some contractors charge a fee for a written electrical estimate, which is often applied to the cost of subsequent repairs. Look for expert electrician in Houston.

*Check references. Contractors should be willing to provide names of previous customers. Call several former customers who had similar work done to make sure they were satisfied with the job.

*Ask for proof of insurance. Make sure the contractor carries general liability insurance and workers’ compensation. If the contractor is not insured, the homeowner may be liable for accidents that occur on the property.

*Insist on a written contract. A complete contract should clearly state all tasks to be performed, all associated costs and the payment schedule. Never sign a blank contract or one with blank spaces. Make sure the contract clearly states who will pay for all materials and will apply for the necessary permits or licenses. Have a lawyer review the contract if substantial costs are involved, and keep a copy for your records.

*Get guarantees in writing. Any guarantees made by the contractor should be written into the contract. The guarantee should clearly state what is guaranteed, who is responsible for the guarantee and how long the guarantee is valid.

*Obtain a local building permit, if required. Electrical Permits may be required for site work other than demolition and for reconstruction. Contact your local government for permit information.

*Make final payments only after the work is completed. Do not sign completion papers or make the final payment until the work is completed to your satisfaction. A reputable contractor will not threaten you or pressure you to sign if the job is not finished properly.
Pay by check. Avoid on-the-spot cash payments. The safest route is to write a check to the contracting company. A reasonable down payment is 30 …

(1) Use a tester or a device that is working to see if you have power. If you have power, it is the device that needs attention.
(2) Check the device – Is the light bulb good? Is the light, appliance, tool or electronic device working? Try hooking it up to another outlet that you know is working.
(3) Check to see if a GFCI (Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter) is tripped. Many times the outlets that follow a GFCI in a circuit are also protected. See if the button has tripped on this or a nearby GFCI receptacles. Reset the GFCI and see if the outlet works.
(4) Check the breaker to see if it has tripped. Are you overloading the circuit? Try moving some items to different plugs and reset the breaker.
(5) Find Help: conduct a search for local electricians : you can search for electrician in Stafford, TX,electrical experts in Houston, commercial electrical contractorsElectrician in Katy TX
Did the tester indicate that you do not have power and you do not have a breaker or GFCI tripped? Turn the power off and carefully pull the receptacle out from the box. Double check with the tester to make sure the power is off.
Remove the cover plate and unscrew the outlet from the box. Turn the power back on and use the tester to see if you have power to the black wire attached to the outlet.

WARNING!! Make Sure the Power is OFF!!! BEFORE You Work on Electrical Devices!!!

You have power in the box, but the outlet does not work. Turn the power back off and see if the wires connected to the outlet are loose or corroded. Tighten or clean them and try again. Got it working? Yes, well that’s good, your work here is done. Still not working?

The main line typically comes off a pole (but can also be buried underground) to the house where it connects to the meter. Meters are typically installed on the exterior of the home, where they can be read by utility company meter-readers. Most meters are mechanical, with a spinning wheel and mechanical display of numbers. Some newer meters are digital, showing a display on an LCD screen. The meter tallies the amount of electricity used in a home in units of kilowatt hours (kWh). The total increase in the number of kWh from one month to the next is the number used by the electric utility for your bill.

Be aware that some older homes may still use fuses instead of breakers. Fuses are meant to be weak links in an electrical circuit which “burn out” safely when an overload occurs on a circuit before the circuit itself can overload and cause a fire. Once a fuse burns out, the overload must be fixed and the fuse then must be replaced by a new fuse with the same amp rating before the circuit will work again. Never replace a larger fuse with a smaller one. That’s because wires are rated in amperage also, so the fuse and wire size are determined by the load requirement of the electrical circuit. This older type of system is less safe than the newer, breaker-based systems.

The Circuits
From the smaller circuit breakers, bundles of wires run through walls, ceilings, and floors to each room and hard-wired appliance. Each bundle of wire has at least three wires within – two with plastic insulation and one bare. The black and/or red insulated wires are the “hot” wires coming directly off of the circuit breakers. The white insulated or “neutral” wire carries the current back to the electrical source at the panel. The bare copper wire is the ground wire, which is the safety part of the circuit.

The two wires insulated wires are attached to outlets or switches so that when nothing is plugged in or a switch is in the off position, the wires do not meet. When you plug something into an outlet or turn a switch on, you complete the circuit, allowing electricity to flow through a light or appliance. The ground wire is literally a direct path to the ground which acts with the circuit breaker, in the event of a short circuit. It is attached to all metal parts of a fixture or appliance. If a faulty appliance, frayed wire, or wet conditions give electricity a separate, less resistant path to the ground, the ground wire acts as a path of least resistance, allowing the excess electricity to travel directly to the ground and triggering the circuit breaker to shut off, helping avoid electrocution or fire.

While standard circuits to plugs and outlets are usually 110 volts, some larger hard-wired and plug-in appliances, like electric ovens, ranges, and clothes dryers, are 220 volt

Some circuits don’t travel to rooms, but to individual, hard-wired appliances. Most commonly these are appliances which require a lot of electricity like air-conditioners, electric furnaces, and electric water heaters. If labeled carefully, it is then easy to turn off power when replacing or servicing hard-wired appliances. Smoke alarms in modern homes are often hard-wired, and each will also have a battery back-up for additional safety in the event of a power outage. Mike Ashenfelter says, “Carbon Monoxide detectors are now also required in many jurisdictions. In new homes, or remodels smoke detectors must be hard-wired and battery backup. Combination CO and Smokes are available for installation. In some areas CO detectors can be of the plug in type, and do not have to be hard wired. Always check your local codes.”
Find Help: conduct a search for local electricians : you can search for electrician in Stafford, TX,electrical experts in Houston, commercial electrical contractorsElectrician in Katy TX activate it.

GFCIs
The most common safety device beyond the breaker system is the Ground Fault Circuit Interrupt (GFCI)outlet or breaker. A GFCI senses the moment when a person begins to receive a shock, and shuts off the electricity at the outlet or breaker within milliseconds, avoiding the shock and potential electrocution. GFCIs are typically installed in locations where water may be present, like bathrooms, kitchens, unfinished basements, garages, and even outdoors. The most common type of GFCI is the outlet, but GFCI breakers can also be used in the main breaker panel to give all outlets in a given circuit GFCI protection.GFCIs look like typical electrical outlets, but also include a test and a reset button. In the event that a GFCI is tripped, pressing the reset button will restore power (assuming the original problem is fixed). Since GFCIs include electronic sensors, and are subject to possible failure over time, homeowners should test them once a month to ensure that they are still working. Press the test button, which will trip the GFCI, then press the reset button to restore power. If pressing the test button doesn’t trip the GFCI, or pressing the reset button doesn’t restore power, the GFCI should be replaced.

(1) Use a tester or a device that is working to see if you have power. If you have power, it is the device that needs attention.
(2) Check the device – Is the light bulb good? Is the light, appliance, tool or electronic device working? Try hooking it up to another outlet that you know is working.
(3) Check to see if a GFCI (Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter) is tripped. Many times the outlets that follow a GFCI in a circuit are also protected. See if the button has tripped on this or a nearby GFCI receptacles. Reset the GFCI and see if the outlet works.
(4) Check the breaker to see if it has tripped. Are you overloading the circuit? Try moving some items to different plugs and reset the breaker.
(5) Find Help: conduct a search for local electricians : you can search for electrician in Stafford, TX, electrical experts in Houston, commercial electrical contractors Electrician in Katy TX
Did the tester indicate that you do not have power and you do not have a breaker or GFCI tripped? Turn the power off and carefully pull the receptacle out from the box. Double check with the tester to make sure the power is off.
Remove the cover plate and unscrew the outlet from the box. Turn the power back on and use the tester to see if you have power to the black wire attached to the outlet.
WARNING!! Make Sure the Power is OFF!!! BEFORE You Work on Electrical Devices!!!
You have power in the box, but the outlet does not work. Turn the power back off and see if the wires connected to the outlet are loose or corroded. Tighten or clean them and try again. Got it working? Yes, well that’s good, your work here is done. Still not working? You will want to replace the outlet with a new one. Shut the power off and obtain a new outlet.

Remember to call your local small business electrician Allsource Electrical Technologies, LLC for most current information on how to save money, and energy as well if any electrical problems arise. You can contact us by searching electricians near me, electrician Sugar Land TX , commercial electrical contractors and call for your electrician in Houston and your free quote at 281-451-4245.